Timer



May 13, 1924. 1,494,045

H. C. WEST TIMER Filed Sept. 23, 1919 il l'znesses fizz/avatar Habard a W662 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBBARD C. WEST, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BEINFORD AUTO PRODUCTS, INC., OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Tim

Application filed September 23, 1919. Serial No. 325,641.

T all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBBARD G. Wnsr,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to timers for automobile engines or the like, and has for its object to provide a timer which may be easily and economically manufactured, which will be durable and efficient in operation, which may be easily operated and controlled and which will not get out of order.

To this end I have provided a timer all parts of which may be easily constructed of stampings of sheet metal.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while therein minute details of the invention are described, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without de arting from the scope of the invention as c aimed.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by Way of example one of many possible embodiments of the invention,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my timer casing;

Fig. 2 is an inner end elevation thereoi showing the various contacts;

Fig. 3 is an elevation showingrthe movable-contact supporting collar;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same, and

Fig. 5 is'a perspective view of the movable contact.

- The timer is shown in combination with the active timer member or timing shaft 10 of an internal combustion en in'e (not shown). Disposed over the en of said shaft is a pressed sheet-metal commutator casing 11 formed with a substantiall cylindrical main portion 13, an outwar ly disposed edge flange 14 and an elongated bellshaped cover portion 15 having a depression 16 at its apex for receiving the usual retaining' clip (not shown). The casing may be'rocked for advancing or retarding the spark by means of a timing arm 18 formed of ,a strip of metal bent upon itself to form an eye 19 at the outer end of said arm, and

having the ends of the strip bent outwardly I from each other as at 20 at the inner end of the arm and riveted to said bell-shaped portion.

Around the inner face of said main portlon is a fiber insulating split ring 25 disposed against which are insulating bushings 28'having reduced inner portions 27 disposed in suitable openings in said body portion 13. 7

Around said ring is disposed a plurality of contacts comprising rounded or mushroom shaped contact points or heads 28 seated on the inner face of the ring, the points or heads preferably being integral with bolts 29 passing radially through said fiber rin 25, and through said bushings 26, and held in (place by retaining nuts 30 on said bolts an engaging the bushings. Binding nuts. 31 on the bolts are adapted to clamp conductors against the retaining nuts.

The fibre insulating split-ring 25 fitting around the inner face of said casing comprises a single stri of sheet material tightly fitting within t e casing and having its end-faces 32 forcibly abutting each other in a. plane radial to the shaft 10; and the inwardly projected mushroom shaped fixed contacts 28 are seated on the inner face of said ring in tight contact therewith.

This split insulating ring is of great economical importance over the heretofore lathed or drawn continuous fibre insulator rings which are very expensive to manufacture and assemble as compared with my insulating rings out out of flat sheet stock and rolled up from the flat strip.

On said timing shaft '10 there is disposed a bracket collar 34 of stamped sheet metal forming a c lindrical collar portion 35 embracing sai shaft and having a cotter-pin recess 36 punched in the edge thereof and a perforated cut-out spring bracket 37 pressed up tangentially therefrom. At one end of said col ar portion is a radially disposed reduced extension 38 provided with an out turned abutment end 39. At the other end of the collar portion is a radially disposed extension 40, longer than the extension 38 and pressing against said extension 38 and having a' lug or abutment end 43. A bracket-extension 12 provided with a pair of spaced and parallel bracket cars is secured to said extensions 38 and 40 by a pair of securing lugs 44 turned and clamped over said extensions 38 and 40.

Between the ears of the bracket extension 42 there is pivotally disposed a stamped hardened sheet-steel contact member 45 having its outer end rearwardly curved as at 46 and adapted to contact said contact points or heads 28. Its inner end 47 is forwardly and inwardly disposed and perforated. The intermediate part of said mem ber has its margin pressed out in one direc-,

member 45 and aid inassembling the de-.

vice.

The timer operates in the ordinary way and, as all the parts are made by stamping, can be very economically manufactured. All of the wearing parts are made of hardened steel, thus insuring long life and few repairs-for the timer. The cotter-pin 50 passing throughcthe bore 51 of the shaft 10 holds the collar 34 in place.

By having the contact points or heads 28 fixed and rounded or mushroom shaped and inwardly projecting from the face of the ring 25, the curved end 46 of the contact member, being outwardly pressed by the spring 52 and centrifugal force, meets the projecting contact point or head with relatively great impact, and therefore with suflicient force to break efiectively the oil film which forms on the contact points or heads.

Were the contactpoints or heads 28 yieldable the force of the impact would be much less.

By having the intermediate portion of the arm 18 flat and in a plane radial to the axis of the casing 11, the timing arm 18 becomes adjustably bendable, thus permitting easy adjustment of the arm, thereby to adjust the casing and the time of sparking;

One object of the present invention being to provide .a very compact timer, the recess formed between the outwardly pressed portions 48 (Fig. 5) of the contact member 45 furnishes a passage-recess for the rounded or mushroom shaped ends of the contact points or heads 28, and thus permits the pivot rod 50 to come very close to the contact points or heads, thereby pernnttlng the ring 25 and the casing 11 to be of smt ller diameter than would otherwise be poss.ble.

In operation the contact of the curved end 46 of the contact member 45 with the contact points or heads 28 is prolonged, due

to the form of the end 46 and the rounded tact of the end 46 with the interior face of the insulating ring 25 at positions on the ring between contact points or heads, there- -by preventing injury of the ring 25 by heavy impact of the end 46 thereon. A further advanta e is that in the event of the breaking of t e spring 52 the device will still operate, as the end 46 being heavier than the end 47, and limited in reverse movement by the lug or abutment 43, will be carried around and by centrifugal force brought into contact with the various contact points or heads, and prevented by the abutment lug 39 from injurious impact with V the insulating ring 25.

I claim as m invention:

1. A timer evice comprising, with a rotary timer member, a casing arranged for receiving the timer member therein, electric contact points within said casing and insulated therefrom, a collar comprising a main collar portion for embracing said timer member and extensions radially disposed relative to the main collar portion, means for securing the collar to the timer member for rotation therewith, a bracket extension, means for'securing the bracket extension to said radially disposed extensions, and a contact member carried by said bracket extension and contactible with said contact points when said collar is. rotated.

2. A timer device comprising, with a rotary timer member, a casing arranged for receiving the timer member therein, electric contact points within said casing and insulated therefrom, a collar comprising a main collar portion for embracing said timer member and extensions radially disposed relative to the main collar portion, means for securing the collar to the timer member for rotation therewith, a bracket extension, means for securing the bracket extension to said radially disposed extensions, a contact member carried by said bracket extension and contactible with said contact points when the collar is rotated, and means for timin the contact of the contact member with t e contact points.

3. A timer device comprising, with a rotary timer member, a casing arranged for receiving the timer member therein, immovable electric contact points within said casing and insulated therefrom, and provided with stems extending through said casing having means for binding electric Wires to their outer ends, acollar comprising a main collar portion for embracing said timer member and extensions radially disposed relative to the main collar portion, means for securing the collar-to the timer member for rotation therewith, a bracket extension, means for securing the bracket extension to said radially disposed extensions, and a contact member carried by said bracket extension and contactible with said contact points when said collar is rotated.

4. A timer device comprising, with a rotary timer member, a casing arranged for receiving the timer member therein, electric contact points within said casing and insulated therefrom, a collar embracin the timer member, means for securing sai collar to the timer member for rotation therewith, a contact member, means for operatively connecting said collar and the contact member whereby the contact member is contactible with said contact points when the collar is rotated, and means for receiving the shock of the contact member consequent from disconnection of contact between the contact member and said contact points.

5, A timer device comprising, with a rotary timer member, a casing arranged for receiving the timer member therein, electric contact points within said casing and insulated therefrom, a collar embracing the timer member, means for securin said collar to the timer member for rotation therewith, a contact member, means for operatively connecting said collar and the contact member whereby the contact member is contactible' with said contact points when the collar is rotated, and means appurtenant to the collar for receiving the shock of; the contact member consequent from disconnection of contact between the contact member and said contact points.

' 6. A timer device comprising, with a rotary contact member, acasin arranged for receiving the timer m mber t erein, electric contact points withinsaid casing and insulated therefrom, a collar embracing the timer member, means for securing said collar tothe timer member for rotation therewith, a. contact member, means ifor operatiyely connecting said collar and-the contact member whereby the contact member is contactible with said contact points when the'collar is rotated, means for receiving the shock-of the contact member consequent-from discon nection of contact between the contact member and said contact points, and means for limiting the movement of the contact member.

7. A timer device comprising, with a rotary timer member, acasing arranged to receive the timer member therein, electriccontact points within said casing and insulated therefrom, a collar comprising a main collar portion for embracing the timer member and extensions of unequal length radially disposed relative to the main collar portion, means for securing said collar to the timer member for rotation therewith, a bracket extension, means for securing the bracket extension to said radially disposed extensions, and a contact member carried by said'bracket extension and contactible with said contact points when said collar is rotated; the shorter of said radially dis posed extensions being provided with an abutment end with which the contact member isengageable when the collar is operatively rotated.

8. A timer device comprising, with a timer member, a casing arranged to receive the timer member therein, electric contact points within said casing and insulated therefrom, a collar comprising a main collar portion for embracing the timer member and extensions of uneqnal length radially disposed relative to the main collar portion, means for securing said collar to the timer member for rotation therewith, a bracket extension, means for securing the bracket extension to said radially disposed extensions, and a contact member carried by said bracket extension and contactible with said contact points when said collar is rotated; the shorter of said radially disposed extensions being provided with an abutment end with which the contact member is engageable when the collar is operatively rotated; and the longer of said radially disposed extensions being providcd with an abutment end with which the contact member is engageable when the collar is moved in direction of reverse rotation.

9; In combination, with a timer shaft, a. casing arranged for receiving the timer shaft therein; an insulating ring within said casing; electric contact points provided with stems extending through. the insulating ring and casing having means on their outer ends for securing electric wires thereto; a collar comprising a main collar portion for embracing the timer shaft and extensions radially disposed from said main collar portion provided with abutment ends; means for securing the collar to the timer shaft for rotation therewith; a bracket extension; means for securing the bracket extension to said radially disposed extensions; and a contact member carriedby said bracket extension and' engageable with one of said abutment ends and contactible with said in the operative direction.

10. In combination, a shaft; a plurality of inwardly projected fixed contacts; a pivot rod mounted on said shaft eccentric thereto; and a movable contact member pivotally mounted on said rod with its outer end contact points when said collar is rotated adapted to contact with said contacts, the intra-marginal portion of said member forming a recess to pass the projecting contacts therebetween as the movable contact member revolves.

11. In combination, a rotary member; a commutator casing; contacts insaid casing; a bracket collar of stamped sheet metal formed with a main collar'portion embracing said member and having a retaining extension at one end of the collar portion; a bracket extension, and means on said bracket extension clamped over said retaining ex tension; a contact member pivoted on said bracket.

HUBBARD C. WEST.

Witness:

O'ITILIE F. BREHM. 

